The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-03-05
BEAUTIFUL HANDS.
A Wise Mother Tells Her Little Daughter
Wherein Lies Their Comlincss.

wish were ike Otncf TlrlS.
"What dismal sigh little daughter"
said mothers CHEEKY voice. ''And
what other girls do you wish you were
like. and in what wayP"
"Why, the girls you read about,
mothcr--their hands. They always
have such beautiful hands. you know.
Now here's the girl in this book; it
calls her hands tiny or white, 'or
'lmpled,' or dainty or some such
things every time it speaks of them.
And didn't read in one of your house
keeping papers how q lady's hand
should be fair and pink tipped. and have
oval nails with half-moons at their base,
and all thatP And Just look at my
great paws" And she cast look of
contempt at the offending members.
Bring the great paws here, and let
me see them Kathic," said her mother
Kathie threw herself on the floor at
her mothers feet, and spread out her
hands for inspection.
Her mother studied them. "Wcll,"
she said at last, "what is the matter
with those hands, dear? call them
beautiful hands"
"Why-Mother- -Gray.' Katlic fairly
| gasped in as.onishment. Beautiful!
Why, just looi; at them
~ am looking" said her mother.
| "What is wrong about them?"
"Why, they are big and brown and
scratched. and here's Il burn, and there's
| cut and there are needlc-pricks, and
the nails have no haif-moons, and, why,
mother. how can you say they are beau-
| tifulP'
"Bcauty is in the eye Of the beholder,
and in my eyes they are beautiful,
daughter. Let us examine them crit
ically. Big, you say. Yes, / am very
glad to see that my little girl is framed
to grow into n woman of large and no.
bic proportions. and that her hands go
symmetrically with such IL body. What
does large woman want of tiny
hands, Kathie9 Far better these, which
are large and yet shapely, which have
power in them, and remind one that
the clothing of the truly gracious wo-
man is strength rs well as honor. So
much for usefulness, which is true
beauty. And you have art in your
favor too. The beautiful ideals which
the Greeks have given us have generous
sized hands and feet. Just try to i'm
agine the Venus de Milo with tiny
hands!'
Kathie began to look y little COM
forted.
''But see how brown they are" she
said.
II do see, with great pleasure" said
| her mother. "That brown comes from
the kiss of the sun, and the caress of
the wind. 1t tells of outdoor life, CT
botanizing expeditions, of nutting and
| fishing excursions, of the wise gurnes-
ing of health. To me it is beautiful,
The hands are clean and neatly kept,
Kathleen, and that is all that any sens-
BILE person would ask from n girl al
your age. On you, white hands would
look sadly out of place. and half
moons are Il nonsensical and arbitrary
demand of fashion. In some countries
fashion DEGREES that the nails shall he
dyed black; in others they must be
trimmed to sharp point. Is that,
then, beautyp'
"Well, but see all these sears and
things" persisted Kathleen.
Beauty spots in my eyes, DEAR
said her mother drawing the hands
fondly to her lips. ~ know that those
needle-pricks We're put there last night
when you hemmed the sails for Jack
new boat, though you did want to finish
that splendid book. That burn is the
remainder of the night when Nora had
her headache, and my helpful daughter
got the supper. These scratches-do
not remember how l longed for some
wild blackberries, and how dear Cir
spent all her half-holiday in picking
them for mep And this cut think
came because your skill was not equa
to your good will, when you helped
little Harold transform his shingle into
big ship. You have beautiful, helpful
hands, dear daughter, and l thank Cox
for it,"
Kathie looked at her hands soberly
) and humbly, but with happy light il
her eyes.
you've got tip-top hands, Kate, an(
you needn't run 'em down." broke il
Jack, who had come in unnoticed Z"
always say that, for girl, comment
; me to you, because you aren't alway
afraid of spelling yonr hands. like SOM
! girls that won't go any where ordo an,
thing. You're boss girl, Kate, and
, don't mind sayingso. Come along ant
help me dig worms"
Mother laughed ms Kathie gave her
: kiss and followed Jack to the haunts @
the poor earth-worms. That nigh
Kathie found pinned on to her cushio
u slip from newspaper.
: "Just like MOTHER she smiled. "Sh
i always finds something to iii in" An
y this is what mother had found, in
. very old paper. to "tit in:'
: II saw u pair of hands--beautifl
n hands, the world called them. Small an
u shapely and fair, with nesting dimple
= and taper fingers. Hands too delicai
> to bear any burden heavier than Aasl
II ing jewels. Beautiful hands, viii
II pered gentlemen, as they bent ovt
= them in courtly gallantry. 'Beautif'
le hands, pouted ladies, rs they envie
le their possessor. But they were hant
u that were never lifted to help bet
" another's load; that were never raise
- to wipe away the monrncr's tear; th
10 were unroughened by any work pc
% formed for others; that We're new